Picture yourself in the middle of a park — but not just any park — New York’s legendary Central Park! After having spent the day lost in the hustle and bustle of the city, admiring its towering skyscrapers, you wander into the park and are welcomed by the sound of bagpipes playing in the distance. Drawing nearer, you notice that the musicians are none other than two sailors fresh off of the French Navy Vessel Le Monge, who have come to contribute to the festivities while their ship is docked in Staten Island for the week.

In the heart of this famous park, two hundred people dance and eat with enthusiasm and cheer on the freshly cut lawns.

BZH New York has done it again! With the help of their sponsor, Pâté Hénaff, the 2015 “Garden Pâté” is in full swing!

Among the picnickers, Breton expats and their descendants mingle with vacationers who first caught wind of the event on the other side of the Atlantic. To mark the occasion, the crowd takes a quick break from the chatter and food to pose for a photo, immortalizing the moment to be able to say “I was there!”

Later on in the afternoon, some strike up a gavotte, forming a circle and dancing to the sound of the bagpipes, while others start up a game of cards on their picnic blankets. As for the rest, they help themselves to more freshly baked bread from Cannelle Patisserie (provided by our friend and sponsor, Jean Claude in Queens) and a generous helping of the incomparable Henaff Pate.

Everyone — old and young, tourists and New Yorkers alike — are there to celebrate Brittany and international camaraderie. Among them, team “BZH New York” mingles with the crowd to meet and greet newcomers, as well as spread the word about upcoming events that the organization is planning. Among these projects is the ambitious and highly anticipated plan to bring “Les Vieilles Charrues” music festival to New York in 2016. As part of the growing momentum around this project, BZH New York is hosting a series of happy hours for potential volunteers, participants, and business partners to meet and learn about the project. The third such “Apero Charrues” in this series will take place on September 28th, featuring special guests Mr Jean Luc Martin and Mr Jerome Trehorel, president and director of the festival, respectively.

All in all, the weather held up, with sunshine until 4:00pm, followed by a torrential downpour … almost as if to remind the picnickers that it was time to pack up their baskets and hurry home watch the final of the US OPEN!

Hénaff is a century-old pâté producer based in the village of Pouldreuzic, in the Bretagne region. Hénaff pâtés and rillettes are dear to many French gourmands and praised for their quality and taste. Hénaff has remained a local family-owned business to this day, even though its meat preparations are now exported all around the world. We will have traditional pâté Hénaff for only $5 a box.

Hello
Hope we will see you with us on Sunday!
Henaff company is our sponsor on this event and all profit from sells will be for BZH New York, INC. As an Non for profit organization, it's a way for our members and guest to help us.